A vulnerable point in time
by Titanic-fanatic
Summary: What if she has a plan to fix it all and knew what he had said was lies to bring her happiness and deprive him of his own?What she was certain of is that it would create another vulnerable point in time.But she didn't know if there would be consequences.
1. Prologue

**A vulnerable point in time**

_-Prologue-_

Donna fell to the Tardis floor, smoke curling in her lungs as the lights shattered with explosions of electricity covering her in golden rainfall. She gripped the grated ground tightly, mind pulsating as she felt her heart thud against her ribs. Suddenly something caught her sight within the chaos, something glowing to focus her scrambled attention. That jar, that jar with the Doctor's hand. It boiled furiously sprouting bubbles as her eyes widened. Gingerly, as her ears were deafened with further sounds of crashing glass, Donna reached out to the faint whisper of a beating heart. Slowly and consciously her fingertips outstretched, her eyes blurred from the smog that was being produced by the roaring engines, dampening the light of the already dark cavity of the time machine.

Suddenly, her fingertips a matter of centimeters apart a bulb of blue light materialized above her head, it crackled quietly in comparison to the dying ship, shattering the air around it with white sparks of lightening. The bulb of blue expanded as rapidly as it had appeared, blowing Donna onto her back with a thud of flesh against metal. A sharp pain ensued in her head, distorting her senses momentarily.

"Give me your hand!" a female voice yelled above the tempest of the Tardis. Donna strained to open her eyes, her vision slightly impaired. She heard another destruction of glass, the woman must have knocked over the Doctor's hand preserve.

"Donna, look at me! You are going to die unless you give me your hand!" she persisted, now looming over the terrified companion. The red head flashed her eyes open and closed, repeating the action in an attempt to clear her head. With that the woman's face came into focus. A familiar face she had seen only moments before the Tardis doors had sealed her to her what seemed adamant doom. That face being the one belonging to Rose Tyler.


	2. It's still not right

Chapter 1 - It's still not right

Rose had stared into his abnormally calm eyes, she'd felt like wanting to collapse into the ground and let sand swallow her along with the hole that _the _Doctor had punctured into her core of rational thinking and emotions. It was the Doctor that had held her hand...but not. He'd given that 'trust me' gaze whilst she'd shifted her weight awkwardly on that same sand. She'd broken contact with his enchanting eyes by inhaling sharply and in turn releasing her hand from his. The waves had curled quietly in the distance, drowning out the sound of miscellaneous thoughts and utter confusion making Rose infuriated further. She then had began to walk in the direction of the road, feeling as disappointed, if not worse, than she had the previous time she'd graced this god forsaken stretch of beach. The sand had crunched with every step and Rose wanted to ignore everyone and everything that she could see, hear or remember. Nobody spoke as they'd followed, but merely speculated in dubious thought about what would happen next.

Rose was now sitting in the jeep quietly, looking distractedly out the window as field after field passed her by. The numbness that she longed for did not fathom in her last hour of sleep, only the same the same two seconds repeating itself cruelly, tormenting her tortured mind. Drifting her eyes back up from her watch, she felt guilt creep into her consciousness, how could she have been so heartless? To kiss a man who was identical to him, in everyway except one, right in front of him. That was shameful. Rose dismissed her guilt as quickly as it had accumulated, pressing her forehead against the icy pane of glass she was staring, seemingly nonchalantly, out of.

The realization she would have to speak to _him_, the Doctor that was in the seat opposite, eventually hit her. Biting her lip was an initial reaction and then a furrowed brow followed. Rose couldn't even look at _him. _Taking a breath to steady herself in the calm vehicle Rose noted that only the driver was awake, her mother's head was lolling against the window in front an occasional grumble joining the hum of the engine. It was soothing as was the scent of Tardis that still lingered around her. Suddenly aware of this Rose picked at her shoulder, pulling her blue jacket to her nose. Nothing. It wasn't her. What was it then? Another comprehension hit her, one that consequently concluded in her looking at him. Rose buried the knot in her stomach under another inhaling breath and she swiftly turned to her right. Wide brown eyes claimed hers instantly.

"How long have you been watching me?" Rose managed quietly.

"About an hour or so" the Doctor returned softly, seemingly absorbed in melancholy and her face. Rose shifted in her seat, readjusting the seatbelt slightly, a feeble attempt to distract his focus. It didn't. "You're upset I'm not him" he stated plainly.

Rose's face contorted at the truth of his words and looked up once more. Hesitantly she flickered her eyes over this Doctor, trying to mask her disappointment and turmoil behind her eyes "No, I just-"

"Rose" he interrupted, taking her hand into his. The man cupped it delicately, before clasping his long fingers around it. He watched it tenderly, a suppressed smile gracing his face "I've known you long enough to know when you are lying, or trying to" he continued.

"But" Rose interjected, surpassing over his silken speech "Its not that, I'm just confused". The Doctor went to open his mouth but Rose explained "I get the science and all that meta-crisis stuff, I am just confused..." her voice trailed off, eyebrows considering what she was saying as her entrapped hand led his pair to her chest. She placed her free hand over his, holding them just short of her left collar bone "in here".

The Doctor stared at the hands and then diverted his weighted gaze to Rose's crumbling face. His began to falter, insides trembling. Evidently his human reaction was dominating now, he wouldn't normally feel his heart strings shiver with uncertainty.

"I just want to give you what he couldn't" he pledged, voice now wavering. His voice hung in the thick air between them. It lingered as though it wasn't a statement or a declaration but a request, a request to love her of every moment of his life - his _mortal _life.

Rose stared at him, struggling to keep her composure. Never had _her_ Doctor been so vulnerable. That was it though, this wasn't him...this was not _her _Doctor. He looked the same, had the same thoughts and memories but there was an alteration, a minor, seemingly insignificant genetic modification that somehow had a huge effect on his existence. There was an edge of consciousness to his voice and darker turbulence within his gaze whilst his body was more at ease.

"I love you Rose" he tried, bringing a hand to her face, touching it gently with the pad of his thumb.

Rose breathed in, taking the sensation in. The smell of the Tardis was lingering on his fingertips and it was consuming, she closed her eyes, steadying herself from that intoxicating scent. She knew something wasn't right, this conversation should have been joyous, he should be smiling, she should be smiling. The frown amalgamating on her forehead deepened.

"I know" Rose whispered, tears trembling out from her eyes. Every time he said it Rose felt her heart melt and an uncontrollable urge to kiss him burst through her body, she struggled silently, gritting her teeth together "But you aren't the Doctor" she mustered, eyes flickering open.

His face fell, his hand dropped from hers, shoulders also in suit. Their eyes remained locked and no sound except the engine was heard. The driver who had seemingly disappeared from their reality reconfirmed his presence with a cough. The pair stared at one another.

Rose watched as his face crumbled, giving into gaping hole she knew he now felt also. He was struggling to keep looking at her. Rose could tell from his distracted eyes, trembling with human emotion. That was it. He was _human_. Rose went to speak but her lips remained closed.

"I'm sorry" she managed after a moment.

"I know" he replied. The Doctor felt his vision burn with tears, they reminded him of the ones he'd experienced in those memories that he'd been burdened with on his creation. This was going to be hard but he had to fix this, fix everything. He shouldn't have been created. His purpose was to defeat the Daleks and make Rose happy. He'd achieved one, regrettably not the option that was plaguing his heart at this second.

His counterpart was the only one who would make her happy. She should be with the _real _Doctor traveling through space and time - something he could never offer now.

A dry breath grated against his esophagus as he exhaled, this was against all _he'd_ said but the decision was already made"And Rose, I am going to send you back to him".


End file.
